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only an inch and a half apart, a sure indication of 

 abundance of fruit. 



A third plantation of nearly 300 acres was being- 

 formed, and about 150 acres of it was planted. On a 

 portion of this the seeds had been sown in situ, the 

 remainder had been planted with young trees. Both 

 looked promising in the highest degree, the young 

 transplants being about 18 inches in height at the end 

 of 9 months, and robus tand healthy in proportion. 



The fourth plantation was, for Fiji, an old one, 9 or 

 10 years of age. Although it had been abandoned or 

 much neglected, and the plants in many instances 

 allowed to be overgrown by weeds, and broken down 

 by cattle and falling branches, they quickly recovered 

 themselves when care was again bestowed on them, 

 and looked healthy and vigorous, all things considered. 



The first of these plantations is on basalt, and the 

 soil is of purely volcanic origin, — scoria and tufa, mixed 

 with vegetable mould. The second is on volcanic 

 breccia, with soil made up of disintegrated particles 

 of that rock, mixed with calcareous or other sedimen- 

 tary deposits and decomposed vegetable matter. The 

 third is on calcareous and rough sandstone rocks, with 

 soil composed of these rocks disintegrated and mixed 

 with vegetable substances. The fourth plantation 

 was on rich alluvial soil on the bank of a river. At 

 two places on the Wai-dina, and one on the Wai ni 

 Mala, several excellent coffee plants were seen, and 

 their healthy appearance gives great hope of the future 

 success of coffee in the interior of Yiti Levu. But a 

 highly commendable action on the part of the Govern- 

 ment, in distributing seeds among the natives to form 

 plantations in the interior of that large island, will 

 soon put that matter beyond doubt. A good deal of 



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